The Family
by Sonicfries
Summary: You're part of this family now." the woman said as she injected Winry with another shot of narcotic. Her arms fell limp and legs wouldn't move...her new brother and sister were staring in amusement. Someone had to be looking for her, right? EDWIN
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- none. this is a bit AU.

The Family

"That's a good girl, my angel." The woman said as she drove the long metal rod inside the drugged girl's thigh, enough to bleed but nothing too deep. The girl whimpered but the narcotic wouldn't allow her to scream. The woman swept the girl's blonde hair away from her face, playing with it's length as she drove the rod in the other side. "Mummy loves you so much, now you may sleep." She took the chain from the girl's handcuffs and unhooked it from the grapple. The girl's legs gave out and fell upon the mattress beneath her. The woman simply tucked the girl in with a dirty blanket and kissed her cheek.

"Goodnight pumpkin, Daddy will come and wake you in the morning." And she left the cell chamber after killing the light…

**Elsewhere**

"_It's been exactly three weeks since the disappearance of Winry Rockbell. The young sixteen year old girl left work at 9:10 p.m. on Wednesday, November 19 when she failed to return home…no new evidence has led the authorities to any leads…."_

Pinaco shut off the radio, not bearing to hear the inevitable any longer. Ed and Al went back to Central a week prior to the events, and news of small town issues didn't travel so far. Many neighbors were whispering that she had just runaway, taking after the Elric boys example. Those who knew her better were as panic stricken as Pinaco. Winry was the town's sweetheart, in a wrench throwing way. She was the girl everyone knew, the girl who always helped those in need, and the girl who had a temper as quick as her repairing skills. So the night she didn't return home, the small town partook in a midnight man hunt. But nothing came out of it.

Pinaco sat back in her chair and smoked her pipe, sadness and despair overtaking her age old face. She had lost her son and daughter-in-law, and now she may have well lost her granddaughter. Life was a cruel mistress.

She felt a wet sensation on her hand, looking down to see Den nudging her in melancholy. He too knew the situation, as dogs normally do. Pinaco would sit on the porch every morning with Den to hope to see her granddaughter's form walking down the street back home. Den would even go out and wander on his own to find his missing companion, but would return with his tail dragging.

Thinking back to the last time she had seen her granddaughter, Pinaco could only feel guilt. They had an argument before Winry left for her work at the hospital nearby. Winry wanted to study mechanics abroad, somewhere far, but Pinaco couldn't let her go alone and was against it. Winry stormed out of the house in a huff and Pinaco figured they would talk more about it when she came home.

But she never did.

Pinaco couldn't deny that she had though Winry ran away at first, but dismissed this notion when no call, news, or letter was left in her wake. Winry may have been hardheaded and stubborn, but she wasn't negligent.

Still sitting in her chair, Pinaco's eyes began to become heavy. She tried calling the boys, but they were not in Central at the times she called…perhaps a chance sign will let them know something was terribly wrong…

**TRAIN**

"I hate trains…..I really do." Edward Elric said as he slumped lower into his seat. Al simply laughed, it was good to be back to their old selves again, albeit Edward was sans arm and leg. But Al felt alive again in his flesh body. They had been gone so long that it seemed forever since they had been back in their world. Edward and Al had figured out the secret to getting back, who would have known that some crazy guy's theory of an atom bomb would help them open the way up again. But here they were, a year had passed since they arrived back and Al was sad they had to say goodbye to Noa- she was a good friend to them. They went back to Central and got right back to work. Life seemed far simpler now. But they hadn't quite settled all the way down, seeing granny and Winry again was the final stop in their journey home. Even though Ed didn't show it, Al knew he was looking forward to seeing them again-especially Winry.

"It beats a wagon, brother." Al replied. Ed just laughed and looked out the window. Things did feel right, but there was something that nagged at the inner workings of their minds..

"So, are we going home this time?" Al asked as he too looked out the window. Ed just shrugged in response. This made his younger brother a bit suspicious, "What are you afraid of, Brother?"

Of course this caught Edward off guard and caused him to comically fall out of his seat. He sweatdropped before replying, "What do you mean?"

' who are you fooling?' thought Al as he observed his brother deny this question. Ed still shaking his head frantically. He then composed himself seriously, "It's just we haven't been back to Resembool since…" He gave a more acceptable answer this time, " I feel that we don't have the audacity to go home to welcome arms."

Al contemplated along with him, "I don't think Granny Pinaco will hold it against us, brother." Edward laughed and said, "But Winry will."

They were don't with their business at the moment, Central had told them to take time off from all the working they'd been piling up. Roy Mustang in particular had chewed their heads off when he found them still wandering around when they were suppose to head back home. It seemed that way these days, now that they had achieved what they set out to do, no one would employ them much these days. Edward had figured it was because they lost their determination after their goal had been achieved. But still, Al missed the moments they had with their fellow comrades, lt. Hawkeye, Fuery, and so on.

Life does go on when you are away- that is the bottom line they had learned.

The train gave a loud call, signaling the upcoming stop.

"Well, are you ready Al?" Ed asked as he gathered his bag, his younger brother mimicking his action.

"As ready as we'll ever be." The smiled and both walked onto the platform. Resembool seemed to have gotten smaller to them, but it had the same feeling as before. The feeling of home.

**Elsewhere**

The girl had awoken several hours later, by the door hinge being swung open. Another teenage girl walked in, nearly the same age as her. She was a brunette, and rather tiny in size, but a shrewish look in her eye. She was carrying a tray of food, and seemed to chuck it out to her--spilling some of its contents on the floor.

"Here you go, eat up now." the brunette said with a cheery voice, "Mum will have a fit if you ain't eating properly. But Dad will beat you silly if you leave leftovers- he's already angry that we have another mouth to feed." The brunette looked at the girl before her, and seemed to show no pity.

"Well, since we are sisters now I expect you think I'm gonna take you under my wing---" But the girl was cut off by another older feminine voice.

"Lottie! Don't be pestering your sister now, come and help Dad and your brother get rid of the Mason boy." Mum had yelled from elsewhere in the house. The girl named Lottie only yelled back with her shrill of a voice, "Dad and Trevor could do just fine, you know I hate getting my hands dirty with dead things.." The girl skipped out of the cell chamber, locking the door on her way out.

The blonde girl was again left alone. She tried to struggle against her bonds again, her wrists were raw from earlier attempts- but to no avail. Her face was lacerated with cuts, her legs held puncture wounds the size of dimes, and her health was also in no happy mood.

She steadied herself and looked at the contents that 'Lottie' had brought. You couldn't call it food, not even rats would touch the slump that piled on the tray. It looked like out cottage cheese and molded bread. But she knew if she were to survive she had to take what she could get… perhaps she could give in, for the time being.

_The night air lurked around her as she strode home. Her work at the hospital had really paid off, and while she liked the medical field-for it was her parents occupations, she loved mechanics more. Her grandmother didn't understand that the town of Resembool didn't hold a future for her since the Elric boys had left. She would make it up to her grandmother, for all the harsh words she had said in their argument. _

_She continued walking down the path when she saw a figure coming toward her, from what she could make out- it was a girl. _

"_Excuse me!" a feminine voice called to her, confirming her thoughts. "I seem to be lost, can you show me where the train station is?" the girl asked. In response she pointed the general direction, "It's over that way." her finger pointed east- the opposite way she was going. _

_The girl seemed to shift her weight from foot to foot, "Can you come with me, I don't like being by myself at night." She asked smoothly, as if rehearsed. "Oh, I didn't catch your name?" the girl asked again. _

"_I'm Winry," she had replied as she held out her hand, It was taken by a slender hand. "I'm Lottie, I live a ways from here. I told my Dad I'd meet him at the train station." Winry looked from the direction of her house to the train station's. She figured she couldn't let the poor girl go off on her own, and she nodded her in response, "I'll show you, it wouldn't be problem."…. _

_End of Chapter One._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer; none warning: graphic torture scenes and situations

**The Family**

Chapter two

She was pulled out of the cell chamber by a boy a year or so older. He had a pleasing physique but didn't talk, always quiet and obeying everything his 'family' had ordered. She struggled against him, kicking here and there but it would be no use, he could easily overpower her and keep her subdued.

He dragged her into another dark, bleak, and damp room. A gluttonous man sat at a desk, wearing circular- rimmed glasses as he read papers. One could almost smell the rotting of death upon him, and the dried blood upon his clothes--confirmed what he had been doing. The boy held her in the center of the room, awaiting for the older man to notice them, it didn't take long.

He turned, showing rolls underneath his chin. Winry nearly threw up at the sight of the blood on his face.

"I hear you've been giving Mum quite a tough time, I'm going to have to punish you." He said this like he was telling a nine year old 'I told you so'. He got up from his chair with a grunt and hobbled over toward where she sat. The boy let go of her bound hands but 'dad' simply grabbed her by the hair in exchange.

"I told you to mind your mum, Now look!" he pulled her face toward his, "You're pulling your brother Trevor from his chores." He gave her a long look, which she returned with a hateful glare.

"Still aren't talking eh? Taking after your brother I see." He released her hair. And stood up straight again. "-Dad will show you the importance of obedience in this house." He motioned for Trevor to grab her again, and the next thing she knew she was being pulled back into the hallway into a different room, "Dad" following behind them.

**Flashback**

_The girl named Lottie skipped a couple steps in front of Winry. She seemed very perky, rather too perky. "What's your favorite color." Lottie asked. "--yellow." Winry answered but could barely get it out before Lottie jumped on with the conversation, "Mine's green. Everybody gives green a bad name, but I say that green is a wonderful color, grass is green, money is green, people even turn green…" Winry could only smile at the girl's over eagerness. _

_They were close to the train station, just a ways away from the platform when the girl turned around to face Winry. "Will you let me check to see if he's here? He can be forget full and I don't want to be stuck here by meself." Winry could barely get her head nodded before the girl shot out and sprinted towards the station. Winry followed slowly behind, but Lottie was now out of sight. The locusts buzzed around her and a dog could be heard from far away. The only light was the lamppost and the dim light of the station 20 yards away. She paused in her steps…had she heard something? But when she turned around it was too late…_

**Elsewhere**

The neighbors have been helping Pinaco around the house a lot lately. Sure she knew it was sympathy, but it was something. Sympathy was better then apathy. Again she took her station out on the porch with Den dutifully at her side. She let out another puff from her pipe as she sat in the family's old whicker chair. The sun began to drop lower on the horizon as she could make out two faint figures coming down the road. Her eyes adjusted their heights, one was taller by several inches then the other, wait- they looked familiar.

As they approached closer and closer, it finally registered. "ED! AL!" She croaked out as best she could- her age getting the best of her.

The two young men waved in delight as the short old woman hopped out of her chair and walked toward the fence to meet them.

She noticed that Al had surpassed his brother in height, by several inches or so. But Edward contained a more mature physique that his brother had yet to acquire.

"Granny Pinaco!" Al exclaimed and hugged the old woman tightly. "It's good to see you too Al, and in such good health. I see you've been drinking more milk then your brother." This caused Ed to drop his smile for half a second and glare. Pinaco just chuckled at the familiar response.

"What brings you boys back here?" She asked taking another puff of her pipe. Edward put his arms behind his head in relaxation before replying, "Just thought it was time to come home." Al gave his brother a look that read, 'that was my line.' And nudged his older brother in the gut, making Ed cough a bit.

"Actually we were in Central and we happened upon a man picking up dropped brochures of Resembool. We got all nostalgic and walked around a bit--only to find dropped brochures everywhere we went. We took that as a sign to come home." Al laughed at their superstitious notions.

"I see, well come on in we have much to talk about." Pinaco said.

The boys picked up their previously dropped luggage and followed Pinaco into the house. Den was pleasantly surprised to see them and gave a forced yip, but was still brought back to his sullen mood. Ed caught the dog's odd behavior, "Is Den sick or something? I mean he isn't the youngest dog on the block."

Pinaco's mood also dropped. She gave a long sigh and sat down at the kitchen table- and motioned for the boys to join her.

Al looked around the old house, feeling rather short now. His armor was merely inches below the ceiling. He scanned the downstairs; seeing machines and tools that lay untouched, "Where is Winry? We really want to see her." He said it innocently, ignorantly. But the question still pulled at the old woman's heart, and tears began to form in her eyes. Ed didn't miss the transformation, and repeated with a serious tone, "Where is Winry, Granny?"

She wiped her eyes, and looked at the boys now staring at her. "Perhaps you should sit down, this isn't happy circumstances you've come back to.."

**Elsewhere**

Trevor had pulled her into the storage basement, 'Dad' following behind him. 'Dad' had ordered Trevor to throw her into an empty cylinder bin, which he did with a bit of a struggle. Winry bit and kicked, screamed and yelled. Trevor forced her head down but did it more gently then his manhandling before. 'Dad' closed the top with a lid, latching it in place. Her muffled cries of terror, pain, and lack of oxygen echoed toward the two men.

Trevor stood by and watched, with a mixed look in his eyes. In the corner of the storage room was a cage of pet mice that they had found around the house, Dad took three of them out, holding them by the tail.

"Open the smaller lid." Dad ordered, Trevor opened the smaller lid atop the larger one, allowing a small opening into the container- enough for Winry to breath, and enough to slide three mice into. Her shriek was unbearable, the mice climbed over her huddled body, taking nips of flesh here and there. She was terrified of mice, always had been, and was on the verge of convulsion when she felt them on her.

Dad looked at the container with a sick sense of satisfaction, Trevor looked on with much more reserve. "You be a good girl like Lottie, and we wouldn't have to go through this Angel." He said to her. His voice slightly off through the container. "Your brother and sister had to learn too, don't feel as if you're special."

Another ten minutes past, Winry's throat was sore from the screaming and crying--her demeanor slowly turning into apathy. It was then that the larger lid was opened and Trevor was fishing her out.

She lie upon the concrete floor, her legs, arms, and neck covered in tiny bites from the mice. Her breathing was rapid, her state catatonic--bring a more self-satisfied smile to Dad's face. He bent down toward her with his had reached out, she flinched back immediately, only to have him come closer and stroke her cheek tenderly.

"It's about dinnertime, Trevor will get you cleaned up." he stood up and motioned for Trevor to grab her again. "Perhaps now you will think before defying your mother."

She slowly walked with Trevor to her cell chamber down the hall. She didn't care anymore, if all it took was to please these people then so be it. She would be the best daughter they had. When she got to thinking much more into the idea, a plan had formed, one that could help her survive with these people.

End of Chapter two

Preview: "Make us proud, Angel." Mum had said as she handed the scalpal toward her. The paper boy looked at her horror stricken, and saw as she came forward--her turn in skinning him alive."


End file.
